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Fax: 0171 613 0531

ASH Daily News

Wednesday, 6 October 1999

Headlines

Customs may seize ‘online’ cigarettes
Smokers show their age
Tobacco Control Coalition sues BAT & Philip Morris
Pensions chief raps ethical investment strategy
Tabacalera & Seita to Merge

Full Text

Customs may seize ‘online’ cigarettes

The Daily Telegraph reports that ‘Customs and Excise yesterday warned
people who buy cheap cigarettes and alcohol over the internet that the
goods could be confiscated if the sender failed to pay British Excise
duty and VAT.’

A spokesman added that in other cases the Post Office would “collect
charges on delivery”. These could also include an additional Post
Office fee “ for clearing your package through Customs”.

Source: Daily Telegraph, 6 October 1999

Smokers show their age

‘Smoking may seriously damage your health by the time you reach 50,

but that seems irrelevant when you’re young. Now young smokers can
discover how old their organs are while their faces still look pretty.
The Smokescreen (£299) test uses blood tests and ultrasound to assess
how much damage your arteries are suffering and how your body is
responding to the risk of lung cancer’ reports Kate Rew

Source: Evening Standard News Extra, 5 October 1999

Tobacco Control Coalition sues BAT & Philip Morris

BAT & Philip Morris are being sued by the Tobacco Control Coalition
Inc, which comprises 65 Australian health groups and which is seeking
about 500 million Australian dollars.

Source: International Herald Tribune, 6 October 1999

Pensions chief raps ethical investment strategy

Peter Murray, head of the Railway Pensions Trust, ‘hit out at new
government regulations that could limit their freedom to invest in
tobacco companies and other industries considered unethical or
environmentally unfriendly’.

‘Trustees feared that unless they took an anti-tobacco stance, they
would be targeted by campaigners. If trustees bowed to pressure they
might contravene UK trust law by neglecting to invest in high
performing companies that delivered high returns for pension holders.’

With the prospect of more lawsuits against the tobacco industry, ASH
is quoted in the article as saying, “There have always been good
ethical reasons for not investing in tobacco companies and now there
are good financial reasons too”.

Source: Financial Times, 6 October 1999
Link:
http://www.ft.com/search97cgi/vtopic?action=View&VdkVgwKey=%2Fapache%2
Fdocs%2Fhippocampus%

Tabacalera & Seita to Merge

The Times reports that ‘SEITA the French National tobacco company
confirmed last night that it has agreed a merger deal with Tabacalera
its Spanish counterpart.’

Source: The Times, 6 October 1999
Link:
http://www.the-times.co.uk/news/pages/tim/99/10/06/timbizbiz01024

Karl Brookes
Project Manager
102 Clifton Street
London EC2A 4HW
Tel: +44 (0)171-739 5902
Fax: +44 (0)171-613 0531
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